JWT’s AnxietyIndex is designed as a place to discuss how brands and consumers are responding to the global recession. With daily content updates, AnxietyIndex.com includes contributions from around JWT’s network, offering a truly global perspective.

A majority of middle-class Indians are happiest when they’re safe at home, in a familiar environment and surrounded by people who speak their language. Last year we spotlighted a Dulux Paints ad that tapped into Indians’ travel anxiety by suggesting the brand’s “Colours of the World” range as an alternative to leaving the comfort of home, a safe way to get a taste of exotic locales. Now a commercial from a local bank in Mumbai is encouraging Indians to be less worried about venturing from their beloved home.

A young man walks awkwardly with one hand protecting what’s in his pocket. He bumps into a friend, who asks what’s going on. The man whispers that he’s carrying dollars. “If you’re so anxious here, then what will happen on your holiday?” responds the friend, envisioning the man striking concerned poses in his tourist photos. The friend suggests the Axis Bank Travel Currency Card as the safest way to carry foreign currency.

With foreign travel becoming increasingly common among Indians, whether out of curiosity to see the world or the need to visit a child overseas, the message not to let worry and anxiety stop you from enjoying your trip is one we’re likely to see from more brands.